Retracting type theater chair



Dec. 20, 1949 J. G. PROSSER ET AL 2,492,111

RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Filed June 26, 1946 INVENTORS Jbseplz 6'.Pra.ssev ZFTlzomas mProssev ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 20, 1949 J. G. PROSSER ET AL 2,492,111

RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Filed June 26, 1946 2 SheetS Sheet 2 INVENTORS Jbae h 6'. Prassev v1 llamas VPvos-sev BY wimw ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 20, 1949 2,492,111 I RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Joseph G. Prosser and Thomas W. Prosser, Pasadena, Calif., assignors to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 26, 1946, Serial No. 679,359

Claims.

The present invention relates to chairs and more particularly to chairs of the retracting type for use in theaters, auditoriums and the like. This application is a continuation-in-part of our co-pending application Serial No. 679,354, filed June 26, 1946.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide an improved chair of the retracting type wherein the occupant may move the seat rearwardly in order to permit others to pass in front of him without his having to rise from the seat; to provide such a chair having a combination link and roller or link and sliding block mechanism for mounting the chair back and seat, which mechanism insures easy and comfortable forward and rearward movements and which is concealed below the level of the chair seat; to provide such a chair which when retracted occupies a minimum of space in the rear of the chair; to provide such a chair having improved means for mounting on spaced chair-supporting standards; and in general to provide such a retracting chair which is efiicient in operation, reasonably economical in manufacture and attractive in appearance.

iAn illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

'Figurel is a perspective view of a retracting chairshowin the chair seat and back in their normal, forward positions for occupancy;

Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 showing the chair seat and back in their retracted positions;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the lefthand side of the chair;

.Figure 4 is an inside elevational view of the same, certain parts being shown in vertical section taken on line 44 of Figure 3, and the parts of the operating mechanism being shown in their forward positions; 7

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 with the operating parts being shown in their rearward positions of retraction.

Referring now in detail to these drawings wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals in the several views, the retracting chair there shown is mounted on a frame comprising spaced, upright, chair-supporting standards I having inwardly projecting lugs 2 thereon provided with vertical stud-receiving slots 3, mounting members 4 having outwardly turned flanges 5 with depending, threaded studs 5 adapted to fit into the slots 3, nuts I threaded on the lower ends of the studs 6, and a transverse 2 bar 8 secured as by welding to the opposite mounting members 4. The frame thus formed is of sturdy and rigid construction. If desired, members 9 of rubber, cork or other resilient material may be interposed between the flanges 5 of the mounting members and the lugs 2 on the standards for absorbing any vibration of the chair during its retracting and returning movements.

The mountin and operatin mechanisms on opposite sides of the chair being of like construction, only one side is shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 hereinafter described. The mounting member 4 has a rearwardly-downwardly inclined guide track or way I 0 therein, and a side plate I I of generally triangular shape slidably bears in the way, this side plate II having a sliding block or roller i2 mounted at its lower front corner and movable forwardly and rearwardly in the way ID. A rear supporting link I3 has its lower end pivotally connected to the mounting member 4 and its upper and pivotally connected at I4 to the side plate I i The side plate is thus supported in the front by the roller I2 in the way I0 and in the rear by the supporting link [3, and by this arrangement the side plate is movable from a forwardly-downwardly inclined position, rearwardly to a substantially vertical position.

"A seat carrier I5 is pivotally connected at its rearward end to the lower rear corner of the side plate I I, and is pivotally connected at its forward end to the lower end of a depending supporting arm I6 pivotally connected at I! to the uppermost extremity of the rear supporting link l3 above the pivotal connection of said supporting link I3 to the side plate II. The pivotal connection I! between the supporting link I3 and the supporting" arm I 6 is an elongated pin which extends through an arcuate slot I8 in the side plate II, said slot I8 being concentric with the pivotal connection l4 between the side plate and the rear supporting link.

A chair back I9 is mounted on inwardly turned flanges 20 of the side plates II on opposite sides of the chair, as by screws 2|. The chair seat 22 is provided with seat arms 23 secured to the opposite sides thereof as by means of screws 24, and these seat arms 23 are pivotally connected at 25 to the seat carriers I5 on opposite sides of the chair. and rearwardly with the seat carriers I5, and is also turnable about a horizontal axis so that it may be raised in order to facilitate sweeping The seat 22 is thus movable forwardly of its axis of turning movement by means of stops 2'! on the seat carriers 15, on which stops the seat arms 23 rest.

It will be seen that when the chair is retracted, the back [9 is moved rearwardly and is simultaneously rotated to a near vertical position, while the seat 22 moves rearwardly in a substantially straight path by reason of the supporting arms [6 which are slightly raised by the supporting links [3 thus maintaining the seat carriers '22 in a substantially horizontal position during the retracting movement. When the chair is returned to its forward position the back is restored to its normal angular inclination and the seat again moves in a substantially straight path. In the extreme forward position of the chair, the rollers 12 seat in depressed roller seats 26 formed in the forward portions of the ways H] at opposite sides of the chair, and the chair is thus y-ieldingly locked in its forward position. Slight rearward pressure on the part of the chair occupant is sufiicient to overcome this locking action when it is desired to retract the chair. Forward and rearward movements of the chair are stopped by contact of the rollers l2 with stop means comprising the forward and rearward ends respectively of the ways 10.

It will thus be seen that a retracting chair has been provided having a novel combination of links and rollers in which the mounting and operating mechanism is located out of sight below the seat level, and which mechanism is arranged for easy and comfortable forward-rearward movements of the chair, and while but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that certain details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims, wherein the word frame is to be construed broadly enough to include either a unitary assembly or a pair of spaced chair standards whose only rigid connection is the floor upon which such pair of standards is installed.

We claim:

1. In a chair, a frame having at its opposite sides forwardly-rearwardlyextending ways, side plates having means bearing in the ways for forward and rearward movements, supporting links having their lower ends pivotally connected to the frame and their upper ends pivotally connected to the side plates, achair back mounted on the side plates, seat carriers pivotally connected to the side plates, a chair seat mounted on the seat carriers, a supporting arm depending from a supporting link and connected to the adjacent seat carrier, and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of the side plates.

2. In a chair, a frame having at its opposite sides forwardly-rearwardly extending ways, side plates having rollers bearing in the ways for forward and rearward movements, supporting links having their lower ends pivotally connected to the frame and their upper ends pivotally connected to the side plates, a chair back mounted on the side plates, seat carriers, pivotally connected' to the side plates, a chair seat mounted on the seat carriers, a supporting arm depending from a supporting link and connected to the adjacent seat carrier, and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movementsof the,

side plates.

3. In a chair, a frame having at its opposite sides forwardly-rearwardly extending ways, side plates having means bearing in the ways for forward and rearward movements, supporting links having their lower ends pivotally connected to the frame and their upper ends pivotally connected to the side plates, a chair back mounted on the side plates, seat carriers having their rearward ends pivotally connected to the side plates, a chair seat mounted on the seat carriers, supporting arms having their upper ends pivotally connected to the supporting links and their lower ends pivotally connected to the forward ends of the seat carriers, and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of the side plates.

4. In a chair, a frame having at its opposite sides rearwardly-downwardly inclined ways, side plates having rollers at their lower forward corners bearing in said ways for rearward-downward and forward-upward movements, rear supporting links having their lower ends pivotally connected to the frame and their upper ends pivotally connected to the side plates, a chair back mounted on the side plates, seat carriers having their rearward ends pivotally connected to the side plates rearwardly of said rollers and below the pivotal connections of said side plates to the rear supporting links, a chair seat mounted on the seat carriers, supporting arms having their upper ends pivotally connected to the rear supporting links above the pivotal connections of said rear supporting links to the side plates and having their lower ends pivotally connected to the forward ends of the seat carriers, and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of the side plates.

5. In a chair, a frame having at its opposite sides rearwardly-downwardly inclined ways, side plates having rollers at their lower forward corners bearing in said ways for rearward-downward and forward-upward movements, rear supporting links having their lower ends pivotally connected to the frame and their upper ends pivotally connected to the side plates, a chair back mounted on the side plates, seat carriers having their rearward ends pivotally connected to the side plates rearwardly of said rollers and below the pivotal connections of said plates to.

the rear supporting links, a chair seat mounted on the seat carriers turnably about a horizontal axis, means on, the seat carriers for supporting the seat in a lowered position for occupancy, supporting arms having their upper ends. pivotally connected to the rear supporting links above the pivotal connections of said rear supporting links to the side plates and having their lower ends pivotally connected to the forward ends of the seat carriers, and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of the side plates.

JOSEPH G. PROSSER. THOMAS W. PROSSER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,802,609 Krause Apr. 28, 1931 1,887,240 Hanson Nov. 8, 1932, 1,929,971 Fredrickson Oct. 10, 1933-- 

